Community health service utilization among patients with chronic disease in Jilin province

Objective To examine community health service utilization and its influence factors among patients with chronic disease in Jilin province, and to provide a basis for management of chronic diseases and the promotion of community health service utilization among patients with chronic diseases.Methods Using stratified multistage cluster random sampling, a total of 21 435 permanent residents aged 18-79 years were selected from 9 cities or prefectures in Jilin province and surveyed with a questionnaire in 2012.SPSS 16.0 was used in data analyses.Results Among the residents, 12 862 were self-reported patients with chronic diseases, and of the 12 862 patients, 66.0% did not visit community health service center or station for treatment or diagnosis of chronic diseases during the previous one year, with the higher proportion of no community health service utilization of 73.5% for those living in urban area, 68.8% for the male, 73.0% for those aged 35-44 years, 72.3% for those with college education, 73.6% for those suffering only one chronic disease, 75.7% for those without medical security, respectively(P<0.001 for all).The causes of no community health service utilization were different among the patients of various characteristics;63.6% of the patients did not use community health service because of self-perceived mild disease condition or self-medication and 21.2% because of being diagnosed by doctors or with instrumental examinations in large hospitals.Conclusion The proportion of no community health service utilization among the patients with chronic diseases in Jilin province is similar to that in other parts of China and major reasons for the patients not using the service are self-perceived mild disease condition or self-mediciation and the believes to the diagnosis made by doctors or based on the result of instrumental examination in large hospitals.